AP Human Geography Unit 4 Quiz 1 (Mrs. Yi)

Annexation

The act of adding territory to a country, often through force or political maneuvering; a type of expansionism where one state incorporates land from another state, sometimes due to cultural or ethnic ties to the population living there (irredentism).

Autonomous Regions

A defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state, but is not fully independent. Example: Tibet in China.

Balance of Power

The distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming too strong; states might build up military forces, acquire new territory, or form alliances with other states to maintain this balance.

Berlin Conference

A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules for the colonization of Africa; divided the continent among European imperial powers without consideration for pre-existing cultural boundaries or patterns.

Boundary

A line that marks the limits of an area; a division between political units.

Census

An official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details about individuals; conducted every 10 years in the U.S. and used for reapportionment and redistricting.

Centrifugal Force

Forces that tend to divide a country or pull a state apart; examples include ethnic conflict, uneven economic development, religious differences, and physical isolation. Can lead to devolution.

Centripetal Force

Forces that tend to unite or bind a country together; examples include shared language, national symbols, common history, strong infrastructure, and equitable development. These create national unity and cultural cohesion.

City-State

A sovereign state that encompasses a town and the surrounding landscape; an independent political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding territory. Historical examples: ancient Greek city-states, Renaissance Italian cities. Modern examples: Singapore, Vatican City, Monaco.

Cold War

The period following World War II (approximately 1945-1991) when the United States and Soviet Union emerged as superpowers and faced off in an arms race and ideological conflict, though without direct military confrontation between the two nations. Created satellite states and buffer zones.

Colonialism

The establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory; when a more powerful country occupies and settles another territory, dominating it politically, socially, and economically.

Cracking

A gerrymandering technique that spreads voters of one type across many districts where they will comprise minorities unable to influence elections; dilutes the voting power of a particular group.

Cultural Boundary (Ethnographic Boundary)

A boundary that coincides with differences in ethnicity, religion, language, or other cultural traits; follows the distribution of cultural characteristics. Example: Border between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gain independence from colonial powers; the undoing of colonialism where formerly colonized peoples achieve sovereignty. Occurred widely from the 1950s-1970s, particularly in Africa and Asia.

Defined Boundary

A boundary that is legally described and agreed upon in a treaty or legal document; the first stage of boundary creation where the location is established in writing.

Delimited Boundary

A boundary that is drawn on a map by cartographers and "agreed to" by two sides; the second stage of boundary creation where the boundary is represented cartographically.

Demarcated Boundary

A boundary marked by visible means on the ground (walls, fences, posts, signs); the third stage of boundary creation involving physical markers in the landscape.

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to regional or local governments within the state, or the breakup of a large state into several independent ones; can result from centrifugal forces like ethnic separatism, physical geography, or economic disparities.

Federal State

A political system in which power is shared between a strong central/national government and regional governments (states, provinces); each level has authority in specific areas. Examples: United States, Canada, Germany, Australia.

Frontier

A zone of territory where no state exercises complete political control; regions where boundaries are weakly developed and territoriality is unclear. Example: Antarctica.

Genocide

Premeditated effort to kill everyone from a particular ethnic group.

Geometric Boundary

Political boundaries defined and delimited by straight lines or arcs (often using latitude and longitude); also called artificial boundaries. Examples: Many African boundaries, U.S.-Canada border at 49th parallel.

Gerrymandering

The process of redrawing legislative district boundaries to benefit one political party over another; manipulating electoral boundaries to favor a particular group.

Hijacking

In political geography/gerrymandering context: Redrawing districts to force two representatives from the same party to run against each other. (Also refers to the seizure of vehicles/aircraft by terrorists).

Imperialism

The forceful extension of a nation's authority by conquest or by establishing economic and political domination over other nations; policy where a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, socially, and economically.

Kidnapping

In political geography/gerrymandering context: When redistricting moves a supported elected official into an area where they are no longer supported. (Also refers to the abduction of persons by terrorists or criminals).

Microstates

Very small sovereign states; countries with very small land areas and populations. Examples: Vatican City (0.17 sq. mi.), Monaco (0.6 sq. mi.), Andorra, Singapore, Barbados.

Militarized Boundary

A boundary that is heavily guarded and fortified, discouraging or preventing movement across it. Example: Border between North and South Korea (DMZ).

Multinational State

A country that contains more than one nation (ethnic group) within its borders; multiple ethnic groups with distinct identities coexisting within one state. Examples: United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), Canada (English, French, Indigenous nations), former Soviet Union.

Multistate Nation

A nation that stretches across borders of multiple states; when a nation has a state of its own but extends into other states, or an ethnic group is divided across multiple countries. Examples: Kurds (across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran), Koreans (North and South Korea).

Nationalism

The strong identification with and devotion to one's nation; the desire for political independence and self-governance for a particular national group; can be either a centripetal or centrifugal force.

Nation-State

A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular nation; when a nation of people fulfills the qualifications of a state (defined territory, permanent population, government, sovereignty). Examples: Iceland, Japan, Denmark.

Neocolonialism

The continued economic dependence of former colonies on their former colonial powers; indirect use of power to influence or control another country through economic means rather than direct political/military control.

Packing

A gerrymandering technique that combines like-minded voters into one district to prevent them from affecting elections in other districts; concentrating opposition supporters into a few districts to waste their votes.

Physical Boundary (Natural Boundary)

A boundary based on physical features of the natural landscape such as rivers, mountains, deserts, or coastlines. Examples: Rio Grande River between U.S. and Mexico, Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.

Self-Determination

The concept that nations or ethnic groups have the right to govern themselves and determine their own political status; the ability of people to choose their own sovereignty and form of government.

Semiautonomous Regions

A region that has a degree of, but not complete, self-rule; has some independence but not full sovereignty from the parent state.

Sovereignty

The internationally recognized exercise of a country's power over its people and territory; a state's independence from control of its internal and foreign affairs by other states; the ultimate authority within a territory.

Stacking

A gerrymandering technique where minority voting groups are combined with higher-turnout majority groups, diluting the minority's voting power.

State

An area organized into a political unit with defined boundaries, ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs; possesses a permanent population, organized economy, and functioning internal circulation system.

Stateless Nation

A cultural/ethnic group that has no independent political entity; a nation of people who self-identify as a common group but do not have their own sovereign state. Examples: Kurds, Palestinians, Basques.

Terrorism

The systematic use of violence and intimidation aimed at governments and civilian targets to create fear for the advancement of political goals; organized violence to coerce governments into granting demands.

Uneven Development

The increasing gap in economic conditions between core and peripheral regions; the non-uniform advancement of economic development across Earth's space, often as a result of globalization.

Unitary State

A political system where most or all governing power resides in a centralized national government; local governments exist but have limited independent authority and mainly implement national policies. Examples: France, United Kingdom, China, Japan.

Ethnographic

Relating to ethnography, the scientific description of peoples and cultures with their customs, habits, and mutual differences; pertaining to the study and systematic recording of human cultures and ethnic groups.